Nursing homes and assisted living centers aren’t for every senior. Many seniors want to age in the comfort of their own home, but after time goes by, it’s clear that in order to do this, in-home help is necessary. When your loved one enters into the elderly stage of life, sometimes things that were once simple like getting dressed, moving around, cooking, and cleaning become very difficult. But, opening up the home and entrusting your loved one to a caregiver is a big step and one that should be undertaken with caution and research.

Here are some important must-knows about hiring a senior caregiver.

Nanny sharing is a common situation that allows one nanny to care for the children in multiple families. The families will literally share the nanny and it can be a good option for families on a budget. It’s also a good way for your kids to socialize with other kids in a home setting that is safe and familiar. While there are a lot of proven benefits to nanny sharing, there are also some problems that can happen. Here are some of the most common issues you’ll run into with a nanny share situation and some tips on how to solve them.

We often hear of impaired seniors “wandering off” but the stereotype can be far too general, and often linked to a disease like Alzheimer’s after it has been diagnosed. However, there are warning signs of this disease or dementia that you should be aware of so you can help keep your loved one safe without limiting their independence. Here, we provide helpful tips on caring for an aging loved one who is showing signs of being confused, forgetful, or disoriented.

For many working parents, finding a hired caregiver/nanny that they trust to be with their children during the workday is extremely important. It may be convenient to pay your nanny under the table, but not only is this illegal, but it can be incredibly costly if you get caught. If you do not pay nanny taxes, there are heft fines and penalties, sometimes ranging upwards of $25,000.

Many families find this both complicated and time consuming. Prefering to dedicate this time to their family, they outsource the nanny payroll to a specialty nanny payroll service like HomeWork Solutions.  

If you’re determined to figure out how to pay the nanny taxes yourself, here are the steps on how to pay your nanny legally.

When it comes to performance reviews, employers are looking for efficient and effective strategies that allow for two-way conversation, feedback, and the ability to set goals while raising morale. Traditional performance reviews have a history of being unhelpful which in turn can lower employee morale, forcing employers to readjust how they review their employee’s performance. If you’re looking for ways to formally evaluate your senior caregiver or your nanny, here are some new strategies that can improve communication and bolster your employee’s confidence and productivity at the same time.

As employers, we’re required to provide fair compensation to our nanny and that means either providing a solid hourly, weekly, or monthly rate. Many families feel that paying a flat rate is the simplest and most efficient way to do things; however by law a nanny is an hourly employee and entitled to pay for all hours worked at the hourly rate, and may be entitled to overtime. Because the Fair Labor Standards Act specifies that household workers are to be paid hourly, improperly wording your compensation offer to the nanny can put you at risk to unpaid wage and unpaid overtime claims.

Life with a senior citizen can be unpredictable at times and for this reason, employers need to have plans in place in the event that an emergency happens. Senior citizens are some of the most vulnerable victims when weather disasters happen and they often live with health issues that require close monitoring, so having an emergency preparedness plan in place should be top priority. Here are some tips on how to prepare for emergency situations that can happen unexpectedly.

As an employer, writing a nanny contract is a very important step in the employment process. Even though it’s not legally required to have a written contract with your nanny, it can be a very helpful thing to have in order to prevent misunderstandings and set ground rules from the very beginning. A contract can also protect both parties in problems arise, because you can refer to it in order to resolve certain issues.

Starting in-home care for your loved one is a big decision. It requires careful planning, a close look at the budget, and significant research on what agencies and caretakers are available. Selecting the type of agency that’s right for you and your loved one is one of the biggest choices you will make and it can be overwhelming at first. Here are some helpful tips that can help make things a little bit easier.